Genesis 42:1-38
This chapter reveals how God orchestrated the events that brought Joseph’s brothers to Egypt. Let’s explore how this happened. Joseph had been in Egypt for twenty years, completely estranged from his family. Joseph spent 13 years in slavery and prison, and also 7 years at the right hand of Pharaoh. The question is, how was God going to fulfill Joseph’s dreams and cause his brothers to come and bow down before him? How would He protect and save the nation of Israel from the famine they were facing? I think it is fascinating how God used the famine, and the hunger of His people to bring Joseph’s brothers to Egypt. This action by his brothers set God’s plan and purpose into motion. You may think to yourself, How could something as harsh and terrible as a famine ever be part of God’s plan to fulfill His will. But you must understand that God can use even the most difficult circumstances in life to achieve His ultimate goals. Could God use the terrible cross of Jesus Christ to redeem the entire world to Himself? Yes, He could, and yes, He did. God is in control of everything, and He can use every situation to fulfill His divine purpose. In this case, bringing Joseph's brothers to Egypt would ultimately lead to reconciliation between them, and the saving of the Jewish people from starvation. Reconciliation is God’s ultimate desire, and He will always seek to mend broken relationships. He has also used various means to guide each of us toward that reconciliation with people in our lives with whom we have been estranged. Let’s discover how God accomplished this incredible miracle of reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers.
“When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, ‘Why do you look at one another?’ And he said, ‘Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.’ So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, ‘Lest some calamity befall him.’ And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan” (Gen. 42:1-5).
Joseph’s brothers are commanded to go to Egypt. Vs. 1-4
It is interesting to note the statement at the beginning of this chapter: “Why are you standing there looking at each other?” This is a phrase we use quite often, and it actually comes from this passage of Scripture. How many times have we all used this phrase, “Why are we just standing here, let’s do something?” This question is a call to action, to do something! It is a statement of wisdom that challenges us to stop idly waiting, and to take the action that is obvious.
The message Jacob declared is clear, just standing around and wringing your hands or crying, is not going to solve the problem of not having food. The solution is obvious! We need food, and Egypt has it. Therefore, he motivates them to take the action that is required. Many times, believers know what to do, but they fail to act. Jesus made it clear when He said to His disciples, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:17). Action is essential!
At other times, believers take actions that are not beneficial or profitable at all to solving a problem, or what could actually satisfy their soul. God also addressed this problem through the Prophet Jeremiah and the Prophet Isaiah when He reproved the nation Israel saying, “Has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit” (Jer. 2:11). The Lord again said to them, “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you-- the sure mercies of David” (Is. 55:1-3). The solution to any dilemma is first to incline your ear to hear what God has to say, and then to obey Him.
What was the wisest and most profitable thing the Egyptians could do?
The most profitable thing the Egyptians could do was to store grain, and this is exactly what God told Pharoah to do. Why was grain so important? Grain was one of the best food sources they could possess during a famine, because it could be stored for a long time, unlike vegetables or meat which spoil quickly. If you have emergency food supplies at home, you likely have some form of grain or rice, because it stores well and can be prepared quickly. This plan to store grain was the practical wisdom that God gave to Joseph to share with Pharaoh, and he took the counsel. Grain was also essential for feeding animals. Keeping animals alive meant having a potential meat source as well. There is great wisdom in the instruction God gave to Joseph and Pharaoh.
In a spiritual sense, this is also why Jesus referred to Himself as the “Bread of Life” in John 6:35, because just as grain sustains us physically, Jesus is the only one who can satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts. So, if you want to do something that is profitable for your life spiritually, open your heart to Him daily in prayer, and study His Word that it might feed you spiritually. Job said of his own life, “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Is this the way you see God’s Word?
Why did Jacob not send his son Benjamin?
I think it is very interesting to note that Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his other sons into Egypt. The Scripture is clear that he feared some calamity might befall him. But this raises a question, did Jacob suspect his sons were involved in Joseph’s disappearance? At the end of the chapter, Jacob even declared that he held his sons responsible for Joseph’s disappearance when they returned from Egypt without their brother Simeon. He said, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more” (Gen. 42:36). Could this imply that Jacob had a sense of their involvement? We will explore this question further as we continue in this story. Another possible reason for not sending Benjamin may simply have been because he was partial toward him, just as Jacob was toward Joseph.
Joseph’s dream begins to be fulfilled. Vs. 6-24
“Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, ‘Where do you come from?’ And they said, ‘From the land of Canaan to buy food.’ So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, ‘You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!’ And they said to him, ‘No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.’ But he said to them, ‘No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.’ And they said, ‘Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.’ But Joseph said to them, ‘It is as I spoke to you, saying, “You are spies!” ‘In this manner you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!’ So he put them all together in prison three days. Then Joseph said to them the third day, ‘Do this and live, for I fear God: if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.’ And they did so. Then they said to one another, ‘We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.’ And Reuben answered them, saying, ‘Did I not speak to you, saying, “Do not sin against the boy”; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.’ But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes” Gen. 42:6-24).
How could it be that Joseph’s brothers did not recognize him? Vs. 8
This is a question that many people ask, “Is it really possible that Joseph’s brothers didn’t recognize him when they stood before him?” This was their brother; how could this be true? Yes, it was very possible that his brothers did not know him. First, remember that when Joseph was sold into slavery, he was just seventeen years old, so he was just a young boy, but now he is at least thirty-seven. His body has undergone a major transformation. In addition, after being a slave for thirteen years, he is most likely stronger and much more muscular. Also, as you look at Egyptian art, the Egyptian royalty often wore headdresses, and both men and women used makeup. Joseph also would have spoken to them in the Egyptian language of that day, and not Hebrew. His voice, too, might have changed over the years. These are several reasons why his brothers did not recognize him, making this biblical account very plausible. However, Joseph recognized them immediately, and understood everything they said in his native tongue of Hebrew.
Joseph remembered his dream. Vs. 9
The important thing in this text is the fact that as his brothers bowed before him, that this is when Joseph recalled the dream he had when he was seventeen. At that moment Joseph realized that this was all planned by God, and revealed so many years before. What understanding this must have given Joseph for all that he had suffered for all those years. It is so amazing when God opens our eyes to similar things in our lives. We look back on the things we have suffered and realize, God had a bigger plan than we could see at that moment. Paul even acknowledged this fact when he was unjustly imprisoned in Rome. He wrote to the Philippian church saying, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Phil. 1:12-14). May we all take a moment and look back at the things that have happened to us, and ask God to open our eyes to His purposes and plans.
Joseph’s purpose in testing his brothers.
What Joseph does next with his brothers is driven by the memory of his dream, and by how they treated him. He told his brothers that he was going to test them (Gen. 42:15). Joseph wanted to verify whether they are honest men, and hopefully see that they had changed. Possibly Joseph wanted to see if his brother Benjaman was actually still alive, and whether they would tell their father Jacob the truth of what happened in Egypt. Some may think that Joseph was seeking revenge at this point, wanting to make his brothers squirm a bit before he helped them. But Scripture makes it clear that Joseph was not seeking revenge, because at one point in this encounter, he turned away from them and wept, being overcome with emotion at that moment (Gen. 42:24). This emotion clearly revealed that his actions were motivated by something much deeper than revenge.
But you might wonder, Is it a godly action to test someone? Yes, it is. God tests each of us all the time. In the Old Testament the psalmist declared, “For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined” (Ps. 66:10). In another psalm God declared, “You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah” (Ps. 81:7). In both psalms God tested the people by allowing them to come into dire circumstances to see if they would cry out to Him for help. In the New Testament, Jesus did the same thing with Philip. In John 6: 5-7, he records, “Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little’” (John 6:5-7). In this case, Philip did not pass the test, because he only considered their own resources, and not the power of God. This is a test we all have had at one time or another in our lives.
Therefore, Joseph was testing his brothers to see their response, just as Jesus did. Joseph’s test of his brothers was about bringing them to a place of honesty and hopefully reconciliation. In Genesis 42:21, notice that after Joseph told his brothers that he would keep Simeon in prison until they returned with proof of their honesty, they were immediately convicted of the guilt from the past. As Joseph heard them speak to one another at that moment, Joseph must have realized that at least there was some guilt and remorse for what they had done to him so many years ago. Note the words that they spoke to one to another. They said, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.’ And Reuben answered them, saying, ‘Did I not speak to you, saying, “Do not sin against the boy”; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.” These are significant admissions. Joseph’s brothers were recounting what actually took place when they sold him into slavery. They remember Joseph pleading with them not to do this. This seventeen-year boy was probably crying out to his brothers saying, “please don’t do this,” as the slave traders rode away on their camels with him in tow. Those cries must have been replayed in their minds numerous times over the years for them to bring it up at that moment after all these years. But they just shut their ears, and turned away from him. Note that even after twenty years, their guilt still overshadowed their hearts. This is the essential nature of guilt. It is like a stain upon the conscience of man, that cannot be removed until it is reconciled before God. Guilt will never just go away on its own. If people try to handle guilt their own way, by hiding from God, lying to themselves about what they have done, blaming others, or self-medicating to try and find peace; the guilt will only grow worse. The only true way to deal with guilt is by facing it honestly, and dealing with it God’s way.
How do you deal with guilt God’s way?
First, you must understand that guilt is the result of violating God’s law. In Romans 3:19, Paul said, “For we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” The law shows us our guilt, but that’s a good thing, because it then leads us to seek relief in the correct way.
Guilt also comes from our conscience. Paul explained in Romans 2:15 that guilt comes to us because God has written His Law on our hearts. He wrote, “The work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.” This is why when we do something that is against God’s Law, we feel bad inside, because our thoughts begin accusing us from within. The opposite is also true. When you do things that are right and godly, your conscience will excuse you, which is why we feel good about our thoughts or actions at that moment.
But the most important question to answer is how can you resolve guilt? The answer is through confession, repentance, and the forsaking of your sin. In Mark 1:15, Jesus’ first command was, “Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Confession, repentance, and faith will always go hand in hand. Repentance comes from confessing your sin first to God, and asking His forgiveness. David declared, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Ps. 32:5). In 1 John 1:9, the Apostle assured all believers that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There is no sin that God won’t forgive, if we come to Him in confession and truly repent. Remember, Proverbs 28:13 declares, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Repentance is not only about asking for forgiveness; it is about forsaking and turning away from sin by asking for God’s help. Jesus said that He would send the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to help all those who believe (John 14:16). Ask Him, and He will come and empower you to turn from your sin!
So, which way are you handling your guilt? Are you trying to resolve your guilt your way, or God’s way? Are you seeking the world’s way, or the biblical way? There is a big difference between these two ways. If you want to be free from guilt, resolve your guilt God’s way!
Handling the condemnation of your own heart.
As I stated previously, sometimes guilt can arise from your own heart condemning you. Is this guilt something that is correct or incorrect? It depends. Sometimes it is correct, and sometimes it is false guilt. How can you tell the difference? Guilt within your conscience, no matter what the source might be, must be tested with the Word of God, especially using the principles taught in the New Testament. Why? Because the New Testament is the fulfillment of all that the Law of God has taught.
Let me explain how this works. The primary way that your conscience is sensitized to what is right and wrong is by the Law of God that has been written upon your heart by God Himself. But your conscience can also have faulty input, which can cause false guilt. What are some faulty inputs to your conscience? These could come from false religions, people who have taught you incorrectly who do not know the Scriptures, but talk like they do, and your own faulty reasoning. An example of Paul’s instruction concerning this faulty input to your conscience is found where he wrote to the people in Corinth who had a “weak conscience.” The Corinthians had a conscience problem of eating meat that they purchased in the marketplace knowing that it had been sacrificed to an idol. He wrote to assure them saying, “For us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse” (1 Cor. 8:6-8). Note that Paul explained that the people who don’t have the correct knowledge, or who are not convinced that there is only one God, these people struggled with a guilty conscience believing that they were doing something wrong. So, in other words, these people were struggling with guilt simply, because they didn’t know that the idols were nothing, and that they had no power over them anymore (1 Cor. 8:4). This is why you need to fully study God’s Word on whatever topic you are concerned with, to be sure your conscience has been made fully knowledgeable concerning the truth. Knowledge of the truth will keep you from false guilt.
Also, sometimes people have an overly sensitive conscience, because they have been condemned by people, or have always lived to please people. The Apostle John addressed this problem by writing, “If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things” (1 John 3:20). Note that he declares that the solution to your own heart condemning you, is the fact that God knows the truth. He knows that you love Him, and He knows that you are pursuing Him. He also knows you are not perfect, and never will be perfect. Many times, perfectionists struggle with an overly sensitive conscience, because they are trying and failing to be perfect in their own strength, or they are attempting to please everyone around them. Again, the solution to this overly sensitive conscience is to immerse yourself in the knowledge of God’s Word. This will correctly sensitize your conscience!
Selfish people are also very good at making you feel guilty, when you don’t do something that they want you to do. People’s condemnation can also create false guilt. In Psalms 109:31, when David was condemned by other men he wrote referring to God, “For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him.” In other words, God is the only one you need to please, because you will be standing before Him alone at the final judgment. If you keep this truth hidden in your heart, you will be kept from false guilt generated by people.
Last, you can experience false guilt because you are being condemned by the devil. Never forget you have a supernatural adversary that loves to lie and condemn you. This is why Satan is called “the accuser of our brethren” in Revelation 12:10. When you sin and fail, he may be accusing and condemning you for something you actually did, but his conclusion is always going to be wrong. Satan wants you to think that God never wants to have anything to do with you ever again. Or, at the very least, that God is angry with you, and wants you to get away from Him. The opposite is the truth. God is calling out to you, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28-29). The truth is that God only wants you to confess your sin, and return to Him. God told the Prophet Zechariah to speak to the Jewish people and say, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Return to Me,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 1:3). God’s promise is always, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Never forget that the solution to guilt is always found as you come to Him, confess your sin, and learn the truth about who He is, and what He has done for you.
Jacob’s misreading of his circumstances. Vs. 25-38
Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man's money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them. So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack. So he said to his brothers, ‘My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!’ Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, ‘What is this that God has done to us?’ Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: ‘The man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. But we said to him, “We are honest men; we are not spies. We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.” Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, “By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. And bring your youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.” Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob their father said to them, ‘You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.’ Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, ‘Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.’ But he said, ‘My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave’” (Gen. 42:25-38).
Jacob’s refusal.
After Jacob heard the story of what happened in Egypt, and the request of the ruler in Egypt, he does something that makes you wonder what he was thinking. Jacob refuses to allow Benjamin to be taken to Egypt, essentially sealing Simeon’s fate to be left in prison there. In Genesis 43, we will see that Jacob continued in this refusal for some time, because we see there was no change in this decision until all of the food the family possessed was used up. How long this took we are not told, but it appears from the text that was quite a long time. But, from this action and the statements that Jacob makes later in the text that, “All things are against me,” reveal Jacob’s fear and lack of trust that God truly had his best interests at hand (Gen. 42:36). I will cover this statement more fully later in this study.
Money in their sacks.
Many ask the question of why did Joseph put his brother’s money back in their grain sacks. Was this action just to mess with their minds, and put them in fear? No, I believe he was still testing their honesty. He wanted to see what they would do with that money. Would they bring it back the next time they came to Egypt to buy food? Their honesty was proven to be true, because they did bring the money back with them (Gen. 43:12). Everything Joseph did in these exchanges with his brothers was to test them to see what kind of men they had become. Once you realize that, you begin to understand Joseph’s purpose in these actions (Gen. 42:15-16).
All things are against me.
When Jacob makes this statement in verse 36 that, “All these things are against me,” you see the spiritual state of this man. Jacob was not walking in faith at this moment in his life. No one could make such a statement, and claim that they are trusting an omnipotent God who was in control of all things. Now we know the rest of the story, and how this all ends up. But Jacob did not. He believed that everything was working against him. However, for a believer, the opposite is true. And for Jacob the opposite was true. God was actually working out a plan for the reconciliation and restoration of his entire family, something Jacob had no clue was taking place. In addition, God wanted to save Jacob’s entire family and the future nation of Israel from famine. And even in an extended view of these circumstances, God’s ultimate plan was to preserve the family line through which He would bring forth the Messiah.
The ultimate point here is that Jacob misread all these circumstances that were occurring in his life. Have you ever done that? I know I have. Everyone reading this study has done this at some time in their Christian life. You look around at the circumstances of your life and think, Lord, this isn’t fair. I don’t like this. Why have you allowed these things to happen to me? At that moment, you are in complete unbelief, and this is why you wonder if God is against you. But, if you are a believer in Christ, I can guarantee you that God is not against you. In fact, He is always working all things together for your good. How can I be so sure? Because this is the promise of His Word. Paul wrote, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Do you believe this? I hope you do, because this is the testimony of God’s Word throughout the Scriptures. Paul again affirmed as he looked at his own life’s struggles, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18). You must trust that God is always working eternal purposes in your life, even if you are experiencing affliction as Paul was. God is working His plan, even when you can’t see it.
God was not against Jacob, Joseph, or his brothers. He was for them. He wanted the best for them. And the same is true for you. You may misread the circumstances of your life, as Jacob did, but the only way to navigate these times successfully, means that you must wait on the Lord and seek understanding from Him. You need to hear from Him, as you seek His face. If you trust Him, He will do that good work in your life. But if you become resentful and bitter, it won’t lead to anything good. You won’t experience the blessings He intends, because you are angry and rebellious. This kind of attitude will only bring more problems. I’ve seen this happen so many times in people’s lives. I have warned them saying, “Don’t get bitter and rebel,” but they did anyway, and things only got worse. If you are bitter and angry right now, you can always turn things around by simply humbling yourself, praying, repenting, and returning to trust in Him.
But you might be thinking to yourself right now, I’ve done that, but nothing’s changed. Well, the changes might not happen instantly, but over time, they will. Things did not instantly change for Joseph in his life, but eventually they did. David commanded us all in Psalm 27:14, “Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord.” This was David’s counsel after he went through years of being chased by King Saul. Now I’m sure there were moments when David thought, God, you promised me the throne, so why is this happening to me? But David chose to wait on the Lord, and that’s where he found God’s strength. Remember, to wait upon the Lord obviously implies patience.
The essential point I want to make, is that you must believe that God is for you, and not against you. If you believe God is against you, you will never be able to believe any of God’s promises for you. If you don’t believe His promises for you, then you will not change and grow as a believer. To get through these difficult times in your life you must never forget this one truth. The ultimate proof that God is for you is the fact of the cross of Jesus Christ. In Romans 8:31-34, Paul wrote, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” If God was not for you, He would never have sent His Son to die in your place! This is the proof that He is for you!
Please note that Paul assumed in the above verses that God was for us. Read it again, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” This fact is what enabled Paul to go through all of the trials and difficult times he experienced in his life. Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, and consider the beatings, floggings, shipwrecks, and constant persecution Paul endured. But he still believed that God was for him. Even in the worst of circumstances, Paul trusted that God was with him through it all. He trusted God’s promises for him. Will you choose to trust His promises to you? Be assured that every promise God has given to you, declares that He is for you, and wants the best for you. Remember, the only ones that God is against, are those who practice evil. In 1 Peter 3:12 the apostle declared, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, His ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Warn those around you, that practicing evil is a lifestyle they should not pursue. Encourage them to rather, pursue the God who is pursuing them. Assure them that He loves them more than their minds can ever conceive. Point them to the ultimate proof of Christ’s love, which is evidenced by His death and resurrection.